Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Sasuke…Deal with it.
Please Read and Review! Beta's are welcome but no flames, please!
This is set up as multiple different days throughout their lives. Thus, each chapter represents a new step in their relationship. Yes, they are now 'boyfriend's', and are still best friends so I use those terms interchangeably with this pair.
The Last Chip
Chapter 3: Confessions in the Hospital
A young chūnin sat in the worn out chair in the hospital waiting room with his head cradled in his hands. His team all lay in hospital beds, fighting for their very lives.
He failed them.
He failed.
He could have gotten them all killed.
He couldn't live with himself if they didn't pull through.
It was his fault.
"Shikamaru" the young man looked up at his father, tears fighting to escape from his eyes.
"I can't go through this again. I cannot see my comrades fighting to cling to life. It was my duty to protect them. I failed." The war against the tears was lost as they began streaming down his cheeks. "I'm going to quit."
"Even if you quit being a shinobi, missions will still occur. Someone will carry them out. Your companions will just go out with a new leader. So then, maybe your companions will die, but if you're their leader that time, your companions may not reach that end. If you look at this time as an experience and you learn from it, maybe you can carry out your missions with less problems." Shikaku grabbed his son's shoulders and stared into his eyes. "If your companions are really important to you, before you think about running away, consider that you may become greater for the sake of your friends!"
Shikamaru's head was reeling and his heart was heavy. If Neji, Kiba, Akamaru and Naruto didn't pull through after a mission, be it this one or one lead by another, he would be sad. However, if Choji didn't make it or was on a mission and lead to his death by another, Shikamaru knew he would die of… a broken heart.
The Akimichi was his best friend, his boyfriend. The only one he wanted to watch clouds with. Sure, Shikamaru knew what sex was but it didn't sound as if it was half as great as just laying with Choji, watching the clouds. He knew he had to do whatever he could to keep Choji safe.
The young Nara looked up at his father, and although there were still tears shinning in his eyes, he gave the Head of his clan a small smile.
Shikaku removed his hand from the boys shoulder and stood, returning his smile before he sat beside him.
They sat like this for hours, listening to the seconds tick by on the clock.
Footsteps were heard down coming down the hall. Both of the Nara looked up to watch the person enter. Hyuuga Hinata entered the room, looking shocked, relieved and afraid.
"Hinata-chan, how is Neji?" Shikamaru asked the pale girl
"W-weak" She whispered, tears in her eyes. "But alive"
Shikamaru let out a small sigh of relief. Neji had been in surgery for hours, but he pulled through it.
"Have you heard about Naruto, Kiba and/or Akamaru?"
She shook her head sadly. Shikamaru sat, and waited. The time continued to tick. Soon more footsteps where heard. Three heads turned to see the Head of the Akimichi and his wife.
"Choza" Shikaku stood and grasped the hand of his nearly lifelong friend, "How is he?"
"Not great." He mumbled as he and his wife sat across from the Nara, their arms linked around one another.
Shikaku left the room, only to return with a few bags of chips and coffee for all. Shikamaru took a cup of coffee from his father. The warmth seeped into his hands but it wasn't enough to remove the freezing tendrils of fear from his around his heart.
He looked at the bag of chips before him, and pinpricks of tears assaulted his eyes once more. Bar-b-que. He couldn't eat them, not when Choji was unable to help himself to some. He bowed his head and a single tear fell from his eye and landed on his lap, darkening the fabric.
They sat in silence. Shikamaru stared at the coffee in his hand and the clouds coming from it. He gently ran a finger about the rim before putting the cup on the table and placed his head back in his hands.
He sat that way, analyzing his feelings and the failed mission, hoping to figure something he hadn't before.
"Shikamaru" a female voice broke through his thoughts. He looked up into the brown eyes of the Hokage. "Grow up. Death comes with being a shinobi. There are times when death is hard to accept, but if you don't get over it, there's no future" She turned to leave the room. "Oh, by the way, they are all going to live." Directing her attention to the Akimichi, "Choji is awake if you would like to visit. Hinata, Neji is still sleeping but if you would like just to visit him, you may."
"Thank you, Lady Hokage-sama" Choza stood and bowed before following her to the room in which his son lay.
Lady Akimichi looked at the young Nara, who was now smiling softly despite being chastised. "Shikamaru, if you would like to visit Choji with us, you may" She said as she reached her hand out to him, a soft smile on her pink painted lips.
Shikamaru's heart jumped and a smile spread from ear to ear. He nodded and grabbed a a bag of chips from the table before taking the offered hand in his own and walked down the long hallway with the woman who he considered a second mother.
When they arrived at Choji's room, Shikamaru let the lady enter first before following in behind her. The room was small with a large window beside the bed.
The sound of soft beeps, rhythmically sounded, lulling Shikamaru into a sense of security. Choji's heartbeat was strong and study. He leaned against the wall just to let the relief wash over him.
With his parents seated on either side of the bed, the young Akimichi opened his eyes. His mother draped her body over his and pulled him as tight as she could without reaggravating his injuries.
"Hey, Mom, Dad" he said weakly.
His mom began crying, mumbling incoherently. The chubby nin gently stroked his mom's short hair. "I'm ok, mom. I taught them the power of chubby, because almost nobody touches the last chip but me."
Shika chuckled slightly, knowing he was the 'almost nobody'. His slight noise drew the attention of the boy in the large bed. "Hey, Shika." He said softly with a smile.
"Hey, Cho" he smiles softly in return as he made his way to the bed.
Choza had not missed the phrasing his son used, nor the soft smiles the two boys shared. "My Lady, I think we should head home. It has been a long couple of days. We know our son is safe, now we should go home and rest. 31 hours straight is too much on this old body anymore." He chuckled and cast his wife a look, she knew meant they needed to talk about something. "We will see you tomorrow, Son" He smiled, making the dark bags under his eyes stand out more prominently.
"I love you, Son. I am so relieved you are well." She gave Choji a kiss and followed her husband out the doorway and gently closed the door behind her.
"How you feeling?"
"Tired, how about you" Choji's eyes scanning his best friend's body, looking for injury.
"Exhausted" he said as he sat down on the bed and raised a hand to his neck.
"You can lay on the bed with me if you want, there is plenty of room." Choji offered with a slight bit of hope in his voice.
Shikamaru smiled at his boyfriend and laid down beside him. He cradled his body around the larger boys, careful not to touch any wounds. "From here we can watch the clouds together; I know just the thing that would make this even better."
"Potato Chips?"
Shikamaru chuckled slightly at the excitement in Choji's voice. He pulled out the bag and opened it. Slowly, the pair alternated who grabbed for a chip as they watched the clouds. They were thick and gray, rolling past one another like waves on the ocean.
"Hey, Shika"
"Yeah, Cho?" the Nara looked at his bedmate.
"There is only one chip left. Would you like it?"
"Always" Shikamaru answered before eating the last chip in the bag. He leaned over the larger boy's face. His lips descended on the others. Their lips connected in a soft and yielding kiss. Shikamaru licked at Choji's bottom lip, prompting him to open his mouth. The shadow manipulator's tongue invaded the warm cavern offered. He began channeling every emotion he had felt since they separated into this one kiss. It grew desperate and needy. Choji weaved his fingers in raven locks of his boyfriend, pulling him closer.
"This is why we had to leave them be," Choza whispered to his wife as they cracked open the door to look inside. Seeing her son and another kiss caused the Lady Akimichi to blush. They pulled out of the door and gently closed it again, not alerting either to their presence.
"He will treat him well."
"That he will," he said as they walked down the hallway, "That he will."
The monitor registering the Akimichi heirs heartbeat began to beep more rapidly, prompting them to break their kiss.
"I love you, Choji, with everything I have." He whispered into the other's ear before one last chaste kiss. He settled himself so he was cuddling and holding his boyfriend. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take him.
Choji was too stunned for words. They laid together for a short time before Choji could speak again, "Shika"
"hmmm" The Nara youth didn't even open his eyes.
"I love you, too. More than the last chip"
The pineapple haired young man chuckled and kissed his boyfriend lightly.
"The sun is coming out"
Shikamaru opened his eyes to look out the window briefly. The warm rays of the sun streamed in the window, bathing the pair in its light.
Slowly, both ninja fell asleep, bodies wrapped in each other's arms, hearts wrapped in each other's souls.
A/N: Choji's mother was never given a first name so I decided not to as well.
ALSO the quotes from Shikaku and Tsunade about quiting are taken from the anime.